Secrets
by happyfacerajan
Summary: Skull fell in love with her after he discovered her secret. Mammon fell in love with him after she learned his secret. Fate threw them curveballs, and they begin to wish that those secrets had stayed hidden.
1. Secrets Learned

Mammon X Skull

Skull's POV

I figured out she was girl when I was doing my laundry. I liked doing my laundry when everyone was out, because doing laundry was for a girl, not for a stunt man. I actually enjoyed doing laundry, as I got to read while I waited for the cycle to end, and I got to think while I folded. It was calming to me. On that day, it was only Mammon and I in the entire house. I decided it would be a good day to clean, since Mammon didn't bother me. She left me alone because I was the only one who called her Mammon instead of Viper. The laundry room was right next to one of the bathrooms, but no one uses it because we each have our private one in our own rooms. I was pouring the detergent into the batch of clothes when I heard something from that bathroom. I was suspicious, so I went to go check it out. I peered through the crack in the door, and saw a girl with shoulder length purple hair and a slim figure. I didn't realize it was Mammon until I saw dark purple triangles under her glowing gold eyes. She suddenly made eye contact with me through the reflection in the mirror, and I was pushed backwards, with her pinning me to the floor.

"You better not tell anyone, Peeping Coward. And pay up. I won't let this go for free." And after that day, I fell in love with her. I couldn't stop her gold eyes from invading my dreams, or her milky smooth skin from taunting me. It was obvious she was a girl once you knew, and everything she did seemed more confident and clever. I was so far in love, I couldn't see the light from where I'd fallen.

Mammon's POV

I could tell that he thought of me differently then he did before. He would chuckle or smile when I gave some of my insults, now realizing the person behind them. Whenever that happened, I would feel myself smirking in success. I felt happy I could make him laugh. He would sometimes scan my body, looking for signs of what he knew I had. When the other Arcobaleno did that, I would smirk, knowing that they would never find out, no matter how much they tried. Then I would charge them for every minute they looked. When Skull's violet eyes looked over me, I felt like I was under a microscope. I never charged him, because by the time he looked away, I had butterflies in my stomach. I would raise my hands to my cheeks to feel that they were hot, and I would pull my cloak a little lower over my face. I began noticing more things about him that the other's couldn't see unless they looked a little deeper than his idiot cover. Occasionally, I heard him make smart calculations or interesting ideas that no one ever heard, or clever comebacks muttered under his breath. After, he would usually run off with pink cheeks, embarrassed. Shy? He didn't seem so at first glance, but Skull may have had the most layers to him that any of us did.

Once or twice, I would catch him sitting in the sill of the window in the hall, hiding behind the curtain. No one ever went down that hall unless they wanted to go to the storage room, which only held Skull's motorcycle equipment. I would silently watch him, and would see the crystal tears run down his face.

A few weeks after the incident in the laundry room, he took me to that hall.

"Mammon, remember when you said that I would have to pay you for learning your... Secret?" He said. He faced the window again, and I was curious to what he was staring at.

"Of coarse. You still owe me quite a bit for that." He didn't make any move to take out any money.

"I'm still as broke as I was weeks ago unfortunately, but payment could mean me giving you something of equal value, correct?" Today seemed to be one of his 'knowledgable' days, and his seriousness was throwing me off guard.

"I suppose." He wrung his hands before sticking them into his pockets. He cleared his throat, still looking out of the window, not looking at me.

"So if I share a... Secret with you, it will pay the debt off." It was more of a statement than a question, so I didn't feel the need to answer. He nodded to himself and rocked on his heels.

"I haven't told anyone this before..." He paused, and I could tell that he was arguing with himself whether to tell me or not.

"You don't have to tell me." I said. It fell out of my mouth before I could stop it. But I didn't want to take it back. He turned to me finally, his deep violet eyes full of emotions. I swallowed. Being under his gaze was like having the emotions themselves, for he didn't try to cover up or hide any of them. They were so raw and innocent, I felt like crying just because I could see the loss in his purple depths. I felt like I was drowning, and when he looked out the window again, I was gasping for air, but found myself missing the emotions that clogged my lungs.

"No, I'll tell you. I feel like even if I didn't learn your secret... You still would have been the person I would tell. If that makes any sense." He rubbed the back of his head, ruffling the spiky purple hair.

"Okay, here goes. If you want to.. Leave or something, I guess you can." He was beginning to get off subject.

"Spit it out. I need to be paid sooner or later." He nodded and stood still.

"I know you have wondered about why I became an Arcobaleno, or even why I was ever accepted." I nodded. If he already knew it himself, why hide it?

"Well, you know about my undead body already. The way I got it was.. I was heavily abused from a young age. I would say one word, and my mother or father would smack or punch me. I thought that it was the way a family worked, so I didn't tell anyone. They never told me my name, or when my birthday was. I didn't even know that people were supposed to have one. We didn't celebrate any holiday's or attend any parties. My parents were almost never home, and I was always left alone in my room, which was a cupboard under the sink. My mom put zip ties on the handles, so I couldn't get out until they came home, which could be several days. Sometimes they even forgot about me." He stopped talking for a moment. I was stunned to silence. I would have never guessed any of his story.

"Once, I told them I was hungry. My stomach was caved in, and you could see my ribs. I was weak, and could barely walk. My mother slapped me, but it wasn't just a normal slap. She had something in her hand, and I was bleeding." He peeled away one of the bandages on his face to reveal a jagged scar. I remained silent and tilted my head down so he couldn't tell that I was biting my lip to keep from crying or speaking.

"My father knelt down to me, and I thought that he was going to hit me again, but he instead handed me a cup of water and a few pills. He told me that... If I took them that... That I would never have to be hungry again. I... I was so young, and the thought of never being hungry again... I shouldn't have taken them. But I did. I swallowed them, not knowing all the side effects... Every time I tried to eat something, I threw it up right away. I was starving, but my body pushed away any forms of food. My body was having a war against itself. There was nothing I could do. I didn't ever get to starvation though. Something always stopped me from starving or dehydration. By this time, I was probably around ten. My body was beginning to... become the undead body it is today. Because of the immense strain of trying to survive, the pills were acting as steriods. There was nothing I could do to stop the transformation. I still remember the pain of my muscles ripping, growing. It felt like steel was being plunged into my arms and legs." He was still facing out the window, but I could see the tears begin to roll down his cheek. I wanted to hug him, to comfort him.

"I think that much can be your payment. If you want, you don't have to tell me the rest." I said. I could feel myself about to cry, and I didn't want to in front of him. He merely nodded and sat at the sill.

"If you ever need to... Talk about it, just... You know." He didn't say anything, so I went up to my room. I brought down one of my blankets and draped it over his shoulders silently before going back up and sobbing into a pillow.

I think that's when I decided I wanted to protect him. You could call it love for all I care. But I wanted to protect him, no matter what.


	2. Mission Gone Wrong

Mammon's POV

"So that's the plan. Each of us will have our own set of people, guarding the different angles of the base. No matter what, don't let any soldiers from the opposing army get passed our ranks. Their leader has a similar power as Mukuro Rokudo; He can switch bodies as he pleases. He can also open portals that take him to a different place in the world, and it's the perfect escape route. If even one soldier gets into the building, he can switch into them and steal Verde's research. Verde is protecting from the inside, but he won't be able to handle the strength or our offender." Reborn explained the whole plan. It was simple. All I had to do was guard one side of the building. Why would they assign all the Arcobaleno to this one job? And Reborn seemed more tense than usual. As if there was another aspect of the mission that he wasn't telling us.

"That's it?" Skull said. Because of his idiosy, he could say what we were all thinking. Reborn suddenly had a frying pan and whammed it into Skull's head. I laugh to myself. Skull looked up from his place holding his head in his hands to looking at me quickly and smiling. Like we were in on an inside joke of some sort. I let the edges of my lips curl slightly upwards.

"Idiot." I murmured. He just smiled again and chuckled.

"Well, what are we waiting for, kora? Lets go to our posts!" Colonello grabbed two more guns before running out of the door, followed by Lal, Reborn, Verde, and Fon. I indicated for Skull to go.

"Ladies first." He said. I whacked his head with the back of my hand before leaving, with a chuckling Skull at my heels.

Skull's POV

The mission went way wrong. Even in my adult form, I felt useless. I didn't have any weapons or any special powers, and didn't specialize in any fighting style. I was just a strong, unbreakable stunt man. My punches could knock a few teeth out and break a jaw, but only if they landed. My kicks could break bones, even knock them clean off, but only if I could get the sole of my boot to connect. Reborn had his guns, Fon had his martial arts, Verde had his brains, Colonello and Lal had all-around athletics, and Mammon had her illusions. I had a body that couldn't be injured. Bones that couldn't break, skin that couldn't be split, and muscles that couldn't tear. Those where all physical, not some special thing that I possessed. The pile of the dead was growing, most of them from my sector. I tried my best, but couldn't be accurate enough to land every hit, or dodge every attack. As they say, a little of something wonderful is better than a lot of something okay. I had so many abilities, but no experience or skill to back it up. I belonged on a motorcycle track, with the speed of the bike and the cheer of the crowd. Not swinging uppercuts and the sound of falling men around me. I felt tears threatening to fall as I felt a bone break under my foot. I didn't want to be killing these people. I didn't want to hurt anyone... I didn't want to be like my parents.

Mammon's POV

Every Arcobaleno was having some sort of problem. Skull was just being clumsy, missing his attackers most of the time. Our sectors were close together, so I could easily get the men he missed. For some reason, both of our men would just fall over, dead. No blood or injury, just dead. Skull didn't seem to notice, but it was happing across all of the groups. I didn't see any kind of gas or darts, but the people kept dying. I floated down to one of my dead soldiers, and he looked asleep, but he wasn't breathing and had no pulse. More and more of the enemy's men were seeping further into our ranks, and it was getting harder to hold off the soldiers, as well as help Skull.

"What the hell is going on? Why are the people dying?!" I heard Lal say through the ear piece. I tapped it and spoke.

"It seems like some kind of thing that must have happened before the battle. Like they all were timed, and would die at that time. Did anyone have any kind of food or drink?" I asked into the mic. I heard another person add to the radio.

"There's a vein in the brain. Explode that, and you can have a fast, painless death. There's a kind of pill that one could take to obtain those results. I'm trying to get in touch with Verde, but he isn't replying." Fon sounded stressed, which left me feeling uneasy. Fon is never stressed.

"Oh shit! Kora, one got passed, running towards Mammon. Shit, kora, get him! He was on my blind side!" I heard Colonello yelling into the mic. I whipped around to see the man running into the building.

"Someone get ahold of Verde!" I yelled. No one replied. Suddenly, I saw Skull start sprinting into the building. Through the private communicator, I heard Skull's voice.

"Mammon, try to hold off as much as you can. I'm going after him!" I heard the connection spark and fizz out before I could reply.

"Idiot!" I said as I widened my area of defense.

Skull's POV

No one was making a move to go after the soldier. They were all relying on Verde, but weren't they just talking about their soldiers dying without a sound? What if Verde was dead? I finished off the man in front of me, punching the side of his head so hard I felt something pop. He collapsed, and I ran after the run away soldier, leaving my group to fend for themselves. If one got in, the whole mission is ruined right? So why would I let one in? I left my group to Mammon and entered the building, where my connection was lost. I saw muddy foot prints on the floor, and followed them until I could hear the sound of someone running up stairs. Once the soldier realized he had company, he shot a few rounds down at me, but they were poorly aimed, and the only injury I got was a burn from where a bullet skimmed the skin on my thigh. I followed him as he rushed into the research room. I looked around, but there was no sign of Verde. The possessed soldier laughed and grabbed a silver briefcase, running up another set of stairs to the roof. I followed him, cursing under my breath. When I got to the roof, he was waiting and pounced on me. He pushed me to the ground, and while he was trying to punch me, ripped out my lip ring connected to my ear. My pain absorber stopped the pain, but it didn't stop the flow of blood. It filled my mouth with the steel taste, and I spit it into the man's face. I felt the warmth flowing down my jaw, and saw it drip onto the pavement. I punched him across the face, throwing him off and breaking his nose. He clutched at his face, blood flowing onto his clothes and the roof. I lunged at him, and we began to throw punches and kicks again. I felt the connection of my radio come back online.

"Skull, I have to tell you something. Since you decided to follow the guy, you should know the value of the information we are protecting." I heard Reborn's voice in my ear, followed by several gun shots. I continued trying to get the briefcase.

"That research, is how to kill each Arcobaleno. It's how to defeat each one of us. We all have weaknesses that we don't even know about, and it's all written in those pages! I-" The rest of what he was saying was chopped up and fuzzy, due to damage. But what he said that I could hear was all I needed. I saw Mammon's life-less body, Mammon covered in blood, Mammon's perfect skin split and bruised. With her in mind, I forced my legs to move faster, for my mind to think clearer, for my fists to clench tighter. I kicked the possessed soldier in the ribs feeling them crack, knocking him to the ground.

"Give me the case!" I said as I punched him across the face again. His mouth was bloody as he grinned. I heard a tearing sound, and saw something purple begin to appear. Colonello explained something about portals, and I figured it must be one. The man freed the hand with the case and tossed it through the tiny rip. He kicked me in the stomach before I could reach it, and I grabbed his leg and smashed him into the ground. His arm and leg were twisted in ways they shouldn't be, and I cringed as I heard bone scrape against bone.

"You thought you were lucky? Heh heh heh... Think again." I looked at him in confusion, not letting go of his leg. He tore open his jacket with his unbroken arm, showing a set of sixteen bars of bombs. Before I could stop him, he pressed the button, setting a timer for five seconds.

"Self destruct." He said, smiling. I let go of him and began to run to the other side of the roof. He laughed, and I realized I would never get away in time. The timer showed three seconds, and before I knew what I was doing, I was running back to the soldier and the purple rip. My mind wasn't on the roof of Verde's research building, but in the air above my motorcycle, curling into a somersault and leaping into -and through- the ring of fire, while in reality it was a rip in the universe. I opened my eyes at the last second, watching as the scene of an atomic explosion be swallowed up by a purple veil between realities.


	3. The Explosion

Mammon's POV

Skull had to come back soon. My people where dying quicker now, not just from the mysterious happening before. They were over run because of the loss of Skull. But he didn't have to just come back for them. He had to come back for me. I had to know he was okay. I was loosing concentration, looking back at the building, waiting to see a familiar head of spiky purple head come back through the doors. I was injured a little more than I should have because of that.

"I just got in touch with Skull, he's on the roof." Reborn's voice came through the radio. I mentally sighed, but couldn't help feeling that something was going to go more wrong than it had already.

"-mmon! I... I love her! I won't let her die!" I heard Skull'd voice in my ear. We must have never disconnected. But he loves her? Who?

"Give me the case! I wan't let you hurt her!" Who? Who was he taking about? I heard blows being exchanged and grunts in effort from him and another man. For a few minutes, all I heard was static. I continued fighting, but was over come with uneasiness.

"... Destruct." I stopped doing what I was doing and pressed my finger to my ear, trying to hear what was going on. I heard heavy breathing, probably running. I heard laughter. And beeping. I hurriedly connected to the other Arcobaleno.

"Guys... Guys, I think something's happening!" I switched back to Skull's shared connection, a pit of dread in my stomach.

"Mammon... I love you." The line went dead. I gasped.

I felt the heat of the explosion before the sound.

I could feel myself being blown backwards, skidding on the rough ground.

All that was left was fire.

And in front of me, a metal object dropped.

It was Skull's lip chain.

Even through the heat, I ran through the flames, looking for any signs of anyone. All I found were a lot of blocks of cement covered in fresh blood.

Before the other Arcobaleno could see my tears, I left in a puff of mist, clutching Skull's chain in my hand. _I loved you too, Skull._

Skull's POV

I landed in the yard in front of a mansion. I rubbed my head where it had collided with a flower pot. I looked around, trying to find any indication of where I was. A dozen guards noticed me, and began running towards me before I could collect myself. I stumbled backwards and up onto my feet. I began running, destroying flowers and bushes as I went. I heard the men behind me, and clutched the metal case to my chest. I tried to understand what language they were speaking, but I couldn't pin it down. I knew I wasn't in Asia, Italy, or any English speaking country. A tall metal gate stood in front of me, and I easily pulled the metal apart, fitting through the space I made. I continued running with the case long after the soldiers stopped pursuing. After hours of running, I came across a small village. I saw an old woman running a fruit stand, and jogged up to her.

"Excuse me miss. I'm wondering... Where is this? What country are we in?" She shook her head, and I knew she couldn't understand English. I was about to turn away when she brought out a young boy.

"Oh, hello. My grandma can not understand English. I will help you." The boy had a thick accent, but was understandable.

"What country is this?" I asked. He smiled.

"Brazil. Where else?" He laughed.

"Is there an ocean nearby?" I asked. He nodded.

"You are lucky. Ocean..." He held up eight fingers.

"Mile from here. This way, go straight. Follow the road." He gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks kid!" I began walking down the road, watching out for any kind of soldiers. _Don't worry Mammon. I'm coming._

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**Sorry for the short chapter! More coming soon though :3 Please review XD**


	4. Pain

Mammon's POV

He was dead. After what we shared, he was dead. His stupid exterior, his messed up past, his everything. Gone. Exploded. In a few seconds, he was gone. I felt tears pouring down my cheeks again, and I didn't stop them. I clenched my teeth, sobs wracking my body. I rolled over from laying on my back and sobbed into my pillow. I tasted the salty tears, and I felt like spitting them out. I hated tears. Weakness, emotion. The way you couldn't hide from them, as they came in happiness and in sadness. In pain. In joy. I hated all those things, and tears had them all. As much as I hated them, I couldn't hold them in. I curled my knees up to my chest. How had it come to this? If we hadn't gone on that mission... If I hadn't asked for payment... If hadn't decided to do laundry... If I wasn't a girl. If we hadn't fallen in love. I felt a strong pulling sensation at my heart, and I felt like I couldn't breath. Is this what they call heart ache? My throat was sore and raw, and my eyes were irritated. My head hurt, and I felt light-headed as I stood up. I didn't stop my sobbing as I went to the bathroom and stood under the cold water of my shower, trying to freeze the liquid feeling. I didn't bother using shampoo or conditioner, as I had my cloak for that. I stepped out of the freezing water and looked in the mirror. I had red streaks from the bottom of my eyes to my chin, where I had tried to scratch away the tears in the beginning. My eyes were red and puffy, and my hair was matted down in several places. I didn't bother to dry off as I changed into my usual attire, trying to calm my sobs to calm breathing. I slid the cloak hood a little lower that usual, trying to hide the now steady stream of tears from view. I looked over to my night stand where Skull's lip chain laid. I had cleaned the blood from it, and had fashioned it into a bracelet. I slipped it on, making sure it was far under my sleeve, and went downstairs, where the other Arcobaleno awaited.

Skull's POV

At first, my pain absorber was fine. It numbed the pain to a steady throbbing, which was more of an annoyance than actual pain. After a day of walking, my torn lip and ear began to hurt. To normally hurt at least. Every once in a while, I would run my tongue over the skin, looking for the familiar stud, and it would start bleeding again. Or I would reach to rub my hair back and hit my ear, sending the warm red fluid down my jaw. I was entering a small wooded area, and I couldn't see any sign of life except for small animals. By the second day, I felt like a giant bruise. I stopped once at a stream for water, but other than that I didn't stop. There was no where to go if I wanted to stop anyways. The only person I knew of was me, and the trees didn't have branches low enough to climb. My limbs were barely obeying my brain, and my feet felt like lead. But I couldn't stop. Not if Mammon could die because of my clumsiness. Lives were more precious than torn muscles. Torn muscles could heal. The Dead could not. On the third day, I was clutching my side in hunger, and I could barely keep my eyes open. The burn from the metal case was red and inflamed, but I didn't let go of the handle for a second. I was entering what looked like a sea port, with houses small and far apart. At least I was getting somewhere.

The fourth day was almost crippling. I stunk like an animal, and I knew I probably looked like one too. An old woman in a house hurried out to me, signaling for me to stop. She said a bunch of things I didn't understand, and I shrugged. She shook her head and pushed me into her small brick house. It was warm and it smelled like bread. She lead me to the bathroom, and began running the shower head. She gathered a towel and placed it on the toilet seat before leaving. I smiled. I stripped off my sweaty and bloody biking suit before stepping under the luke warm water. I didn't know if there were papers inside the case, so I left the case outside of the range of the water. I allowed myself to stay in this house for forty five minutes. It was hard enough knowing that I was across the sea from the person I loved, and even five minutes delaying that felt like eternity in my mind. But did she love me back? It didn't matter. As long as I got to see her again. I let go of some of my worries for the length of the shower, watching as the dirt and blood swirled down the drain.

I heard a knock on the door, and I quickly turned off the tap and dried off with the towel. I looked for clothes, but there was only my dirty suit I had been wearing earlier. The door opened a crack, and the old woman through in a robe. I tied the towel around my waist and swung the robe across my shoulders, tying it tightly. As much as I loved bragging about my muscles and strength, I was actually self-conscious about how I looked. I exited the bathroom, holding the metal case and my dirty clothes. The woman was waiting outside and took them, and a few seconds later I heard a washing machine run. I smiled again. She really didn't have to be doing this. I followed her into a dining room, and a plate of food was waiting for me. She bustled off, and I ate the food, happy she wasn't around to see my messy way of eating. Usually, I ate with normal table manners, but I was too hungry to care. The stew filled me up quickly, and I brought my bowl into the kitchen. The old woman wasn't there, so I washed it in the sink and placed it in the drying rack. I went back to the dining room and sat down at the same seat I was at before, holding the case tightly. I let myself sleep, and I woke up to the old woman banging my head with a newspaper.

"I'm up, I'm up!" I said. She seemed to get the message. She handed me my clean biker suit, and I nodded in thanks. She just pointed to the bathroom, and I grabbed the case before bolting to the bathroom. I checked the clock, and realized I had been asleep for two hours.

"Shit, Shit, Shit!" I quickly zipped up my suit and ran out of the house, waving goodbye to the woman. She smiled, and I smiled back before sprinting away, the case in hand.

Mammon's POV

The room was silent. No one moved, no one took a breath. All of the Arcobaleno were somewhere in the living room, all looking to the ground. I refused to look at any of them. None of them even cared about Skull. I was the only one who understood him. I felt tears sliding silently down my cheeks, but I didn't wipe them off. I didn't want them to know I was crying. Why not? Because it's weakness. No weakness can be shown. Reborn cleared his throat, signaling he was going to speak.

"I don't think I have to say why we're gathering here." He said. I still didn't look at him. He was the one who mistreated him the most. Maybe Skull would have survived if he had known he had had people caring to go back to.

"I will take responsibility for his death. He was a great Arcobaleno, a great fighter. I told him... What was inside that case. He could have escaped if I hadn't told him." Reborn stood tall. I felt like smacking him. He was maybe the reason he preferred dying to coming back. Colonello then spoke up.

"No, it's my fault for letting that soldier go passed my ranks. If I hadn't done that, he would be here with us." I could tell it had been weighing on his shoulders for a while. It was his fault. It was his fighters who let the man pass through their ranks. All his fault.

"It is mine to take, Colonello. I wasn't protecting the case. I was doing other research." Verde said. He sounded like he wanted to be doing that research rather than talking about who's fault it was that Skull died. Yes, he was right. He could have helped Skull. But no. Something else was more important.

"Only cowards blame themselves. It is none of our faults. It was meant to-" Fon began. That made me snap. Fon's attitude towards things was not what everyone needed right now.

"Skull's death was meant to be? Is that what you were going to say? Or were you going to say we would all meet after death? Because that's bullshit. If Heaven and Hell do exist, we're all going to hell, and I doubt the Devil allows friendly get togethers." I spat. Fon looked at me, surprised at my sudden outburst. I saw Reborn about to say something, but I wasn't finished.

"No, Reborn. We aren't just going to go get another Cloud. People aren't pets. We can't just go to a store and ask for another. He's gone. He's never coming back. NEVER. Do you understand that? NEVER!" Reborn closed his mouth. I could feel the tears coming back heavily, and I still didn't lift my head. Lal tried to cut me off.

"We will miss hi-" I furiously pounded my fist on the counter, shaking the pots and pans.

"Oh yah, we will mis him. Coming from the woman who woke him up by slamming a pan on his head and calling him stupid idiot, piece of crap, annoying shit! Don't anyone dare say you will miss him. You won't. He was truthful, he was human if you can believe it! Those words can get a person down! Did any of you see him hide behind that curtain and cry? And if you did, how many of you actually helped him? None. I though so." I pointed to the curtain, standing up fast, the chair I was sitting on tipping over. I walked to the foot of the stairs and went up to the first landing.

"Don't say you were his friend. Don't even bother mourning. It's all a lie anyway. None of you knew him. None of you can imagine what he went through." I was crying now, but I didn't care.

"He was a human being. He ate, drank, breathed. But thanks to you guys, he didn't live." WIth that, I went up to my room and cried. I screamed into my pillow, not caring if anyone could hear me. I hoped they all blamed themselves. They could all die. It would never be enough for how much they made Skull suffer. And now he was gone. He was dead, and there was nothing I could do.


	5. The Rest of the the Story

Skull's POV

I knew something was wrong when I entered the small village. It was only about a mile or two across, and the fence surrounding it was run down and broken in several places. The gate into the village was so rusted, I was afraid I could get Tetanus from touching it. I used my foot to pull the gate, and as soon as I did, I wish I hadn't. As the hinges scraped against each other, it screeched so loud, the entire village must have heard it. I walked inside the gate, not bothering to close it. The narrow gravel road was shroud in mist, and I had to squint my eyes to see what was in front of me. As I went further into the village, I began to see small cement houses lining the path. They were all grey, not one of them painted any color. I saw one old man sitting in a rocking chair, and I felt his eyes on me long after I had passed. What was this place? Was I going in the right direction? I heard a shuffling, and looked behind me. I jumped when I saw the old man just a few steps behind me, and I wondered how long he had been there. I turned back around and continued walking, to where I didn't know. Suddenly, I heard a gun load and felt cold metal press against my neck.

"You're the one they're looking for. Purple hair, purple eyes, white biker suit. Don't move. I have permission to use any means to get you to cooperate." I heard the slimy voice of the old man behind me. I took me a second before I absorbed what he was saying. I thought I was done with them. All those years ago, I thought I had thrown them off. But obviously not. I turned around and kicked the gun out of the man's hand faster than he could pull the trigger and began sprinting through the mist, feeling surrounded and claustrophobic. I heard the sound of many feet running, and I felt people close in on me and form a circle.

"We'll get paid a lot if we turn you in, so come without resistance unless you want to be hurt." I tried to break out of their circle, but a man with a club swung and hit me in the hip, sending me staggering. I began to fight the people in the way of the path, trying to get away before they started attacking back. No such luck. I was trapped in the midst of fighting, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to win this one. Not with the way my injuries were and how my undead body was 'uncharged'. Why would they come after me after all this time?

_~Flash Back~ _

_I sat in the kitchen, waiting for one of my parents to bring something for me. They had locked all of the cupboards and the fridge, leaving me with no food. I had found one container of Peanut Butter behind the oven, but I didn't want them to catch me with it, so I left it there for a time where I was left at home. My muscle spasms were getting worse, and left me more hungry than how I was already. I heard my father in the living room, stomping into the kitchen. _

_"You. Come here." I unfroze from where I was standing and walked over to where my father was standing._

_"Make this last for two days." He tossed a small bag of chips at me before leaving, slamming the door behind him. My mother came in next, slamming a can of baked beans on the table. She left with a dirty look at me over her shoulder. They left a little less than usually, but as long as there was food I was fairly happy. After I was sure she was gone, I took out the knife I had been hiding after they forgot to put it away. I carefully carved around the cans edge, nicking myself in the process. Once I had the can open, I poured the slick, oily beans into my mouth, not caring that the liquid dripped down my neck. After I had finished those, the spasms started again. I fell off my chair and onto the cold tile floor, crying in pain. 'How did I end up like this? How could I have ended up with this life?' I tried to fight through the pain by thinking of other things, and my thoughts were leading me in a dark direction. 'What if I could just end it all?' I glanced at the grimy knife on the table and the sharp edge of the can. ' And let them win? No. What if I could escape?' I almost laughed at myself. A twelve year old like me can't escape hell. I blinked and glanced at the knife again. 'But what if...' I took a deep breath as the spasm subsided and gingerly sat at the table again. I took the knife and stabbed it into the table so hard it went through the two inches and then some. I grinned. I wouldn't get punished for ruining the table because they were never going to see the table. I collected all of the sharp can tops from all the cans I had eaten from and began to fashion several things from them. The day they came home would be the best day of my life._

_~The next day~_

_As I heard the key slip into the first lock, I readied myself. I was past he stage of self-doubt, and was now just awaiting the moment. Another key went into the second out of the five locks, and I almost couldn't contain my excitement. I clutched the knife harder, letting a grin slide onto my face. The fourth lock clicked, and I waited behind the corner. The fifth lock slide open, and the knob turned. The first person out was my father. I waited for my mother to come int he to lock the first lock before pouncing. I stabbed my knife into my fathers side, letting out a war cry. I couldn't hear the screaming over my excited heart beat. I stabbed and stabbed, tearing my father's muscles and bone apart. I left his bloody body on the floor and moved to my mother, who was frozen in fright. I sliced her with the can lids, my knife buried in my father's neck. She slid to the ground, and I leapt out of the house. I didn't know where I was going, but I ran. I was dripping blood, leaving red footprints down the white sidewalk. I laughed and laughed, running towards the woods._

_~Next day~_

_I woke up with no idea what had happened the day before, nor how I had ended up in the woods. _

_~Years Later~ _

_I learned the truth from the mafia. The reason they accepted me into their ranks wasn't only because of my Undead Body, but because I had murdered my own parents. I barely heard them when they also told me that my parents were scientists illegally testing other young children, and that their company was after me. And that if they ever found me, I was as good as dead._


	6. Mammon I love you

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I needed to find inspiration... So yah. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are always welcome :3**

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Skull's POV

The men charged, coming at me full force. I did my best to fight them off, but I had several disadvantages. I tasted iron flood into my mouth, and I spit it in a random direction. There were too many of them, and I did not posses enough strength or skill to fight them all. A vision of Mammon's dead body flashed before me, and I fought harder, despite my injuries. I would not allow her porcelain skin to be flawed by these people. I would not allow her to die no matter what. As I fought, my body began shutting down. My mind was slow, and my eyes couldn't seem to register quick movements. My arms and legs weren't moving in the way I wanted, and I felt like I was crumbling. I wished that I could do something to help myself.

I wished I could come out the hero.

I wished I could have been the good guy once.

I wished I could have proved them all wrong.

I wished I could had told Mammon I loved her one more time.

_I'm sorry Mammon._

Even though my old and new injuries were aching, and even though my undead body was weakening with every move, I did not stop delivering kicks or punches to the men surrounding me. I was fighting with only one hand, refusing to let go of the case clutched in my hand.

_It's too late now. _

I could feel the ranks coming closer, and I knew I wasn't going to last out much longer. My chest hurt with each breath, and my heart struggled to keep up with the constant movement. I was slipping on not only my foe's blood, but also my own.

_There's something I didn't tell you._

A kick to my back, an elbow in the stomach. Even the smallest things felt like daggers. Most of my injuries were internal, and I knew something vital would be damaged if I kept going the way I was going now. I swung my fist, clipping a man in the temple as another came up behind me and stuck my lower back. I heard a pop, but I didn't know who it was from. A sudden burning pain in my spine indicated it was me.

_I couldn't. If I did, you would be in danger._

My knees gave out, and I slumped to the ground. I aimed for knees and other sensitive areas, but no attack I could deliver now would be strong enough to stop anyone for more than a few seconds. I curled up in a defensive position, the case shoved in between my body. No matter what, I would never let go of it. If it was the death of me, so be it. I would gladly give my own life to protect Mammon and the other Arcobaleno.

_I'm sorry._

The world was going black and fuzzy around the edges, and I felt like I was spinning. Each punch felt like a sledge hammer, and every kick was a knife to the gut. The sharp handle of the case was cutting into my skin, but I refused to let it go, even as it drew blood. When unconsciousness came over me, I didn't fight it. I had had enough of the constant fight.

_Mammon... I love you._

Mammon's POV

I woke up, feeling as if someone was next to me. I felt the sheets behind me, but no one was there. My pillow was clutched to my chest, soaked with tears.

"Mammon... I love you."

I flinched. His voice sounded so realistic. It actually sounded like he was here with me. As if it was all just a bad dream and he was comforting me. As if nothing had happened. My elbows shook as I tried to sit up, my body weak with underuse. I let my body fall back onto the bed and I sighed, my breath uneven. He was never coming back. I would never see his small smile when we made eye contact ever again. His messy purple hair, his over dramatic makeup, his glittering piercings. All gone. Dead. Exploded.

"Mammon... I love you."

I allowed myself another day to lie in my bed and cry until I fell asleep. My dreams were the only place I could see him, and even then it was just his body tearing to pieces. But at least in my mind I could tell him I loved him back.


	7. Chains

**Sorry I haven't posted for a while! I was procrastinating... _ Gomen. Anyways, please enjoy!**

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Skull's POV

Chains. That was the first thing I noticed when I woke up. There were chains strapped across my body, around my legs, up my arms. I was hanging suspended in the air by tight iron chains cutting into my skin. My neck was help up by a metal collar. The air around me was cold and sharp. I heard footsteps, and I looked around wildly. The room had one light bulb directly above me, but it didn't extend further than a few feet in each direction.

"W-Who's there?" My voice was hoarse and my throat was left burning.

"Ah. You're finally awake. Did you miss your mommy?" A woman's voice called out just beyond my vision, and I felt my eyes widen. It couldn't be. She couldn't have been here. This had to be a bad dream. I saw a slender figure enter my vision, but her face was still in the darkness.

"You're so disobedient. If only you hadn't run away, we could have finished the project." I tried to move away as she took a step closer, but I did nothing but make the sound of chains rattling. I thought I had killed her all those years ago. I thought that I had killed them both. She looked up, and my breath caught in my throat. Her face was laced with scars, and her jaw looked unhooked on the left side. Her face was no longer even remotely beautiful. She looked like a monster. But that wasn't what left a scream lingering in the back of my throat. It was her eyes. They were exactly the same. And I remembered when I had gorged them out.

I didn't realize that the metal case was gone until she left. She left one knife imbedded in my arm, but it didn't hurt after I realized that it was me who just handed the case over. I had it. If only I had left it somewhere, hid it, stayed awake a little longer... My heart felt like it was being crushed in between my mother's palms. She had told me that she had used my father's left over body parts to fix herself. She said she never loved him. It was for convenient.. After I thought about it, I thought that her hand look mysteriously like my father's. I expected tears to flow, but none came. I remembered the days of being locked away under the sink, and I promised to myself that I wouldn't cry. I tried to turn my head, but resulted in a sharp edge to cut my jaw. I felt the chains shift, and I figured that they were being controlled by someone above. I let myself be lifted higher and my body was sent flying forwards, my shoulder blades smashing into each other. I didn't react. I couldn't get past the fact that Mammon was going to die because of me. Because I was stupid. I deserved this. If they left me here for the rest of my life, it would never be enough to pay her back. Nothing would be good enough. She probably didn't even love me. I let my head hang and my body went limp. If torture was coming, so be it. I never deserved to touch her to begin with. To let my filthy hands touch her... To actually hope for love after what I'd done... I tried to murder my own parents with a knife and can lids. I closed my eyes and let one tear fall down my cheek and onto the floor. I was going to live the rest of my life here. I smiled to myself. I was suited to be trapped in a cell. It should have happened long ago.

Mammon's POV

I left the Arcobaleno. I had given up trying to live with them. They were all too much. I finally got myself out of bed, and I wasn't going to go back there. I had spent too much of my life there. I had a life. Skull never got to live one. It wasn't fair. If I could, I would bring him back if I had to loose my own life. He deserved life. He deserved love, care. He never got it. I left the house without a word, not looking back. If I did, I might have seen the purple motorcycle still parked in the front. If I had seen that, I might have broken down again.

The first place I went was the exploded lab. The place was still in ruins, and stains of dark maroon stained the ground. I knelt in the same place where I found his lip ring. I hugged myself and took deep breaths. I stood up again, this time venturing further into the ruins. I stepped over bones and rumble, narrowly missing a skull. I felt like I couldn't fly over this as if it never happened. I had to accept everything that happened. I tripped and landed on something cold and hard. I grunted and sat up, my eyes widening. The metal was dulled by the dust and rumble covering it, but when I wiped if off it glinted in the sun. I clutched it close to my chest. How could this have happened? How did it get here? How did we not find it? I glanced at the inscription on it again and nodded. It wasn't just my imagination.

This was what held life or death.

This is what held every weakness.

This is what he died for.

I ran from the ruins back to the house, teleporting there, not even bothering with my bags. The metal was cold against my stomach, and the weight was hurting my arms even after just a few minutes. I looked down at it and sped even faster towards the house.

What I held was a heavy

metal

case.

And it wasn't fake.


	8. More Than Hope Was Lost

**Sorry for not updating! I've been working on another Fanfic, and just got back around to this one! Gomen... Well, here is the next chapter! Enjoy XD**

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Skull's POV

My stomach clenched and rumbled with hunger, but I didn't ask for food. I barely even felt my life slowly being whittled away before my own eyes. I no longer fought when they tried to inject me. I didn't even look at them as they struck whips against my back. Even though the physical injuries did nothing to me, I still hurt. But it was from the inside. My heart was broken in so many different ways, that if someone took an X-ray of my heart, it would probably be a pile of rubble. The scientists never talked to me, but I knew that Mammon was already dead. I had stopped counting the days, but it seemed that I had been in the black room for about two months. They could have taken over the whole world with the information I had been carrying. If only I had run faster, punched stronger... She wouldn't be dead. And we would be together. If she even loved me, that is. I felt slack sink into the chains on my wrists and legs, allowing me a few feet to stand or crawl if I so desired. They had given up hanging me up, and had left my on the floor, the chains taunt enough to keep me in the same position for several hours.

"Oh Darling! You look terrible!" My mother's syrupy voice hit my ears like a jackhammer. My head sank a little lower, allowing the filthy purple hair that had grown out to cover most of my face.

"Look at Mommy!" When I didn't, I could almost hear her frustration from where ever she was standing.

"Well, as much as I would like to dispose of you, you have to come with me. The lab has need of you." I heard her heels click on the cold ground.

"You're allowed to walk there, but your hands and wrists will still be chained. You have to bath as well. Extra bacteria isn't good for the other test subjects." I felt her slide one long nailed finger under my chin, jerking my head up. I kept my eyes on the ground.

"Tsk. You should be happy that you're still alive." She dropped my head, turning around in disgust. It didn't bother me though. Whatever she thought of me had no meaning. I felt the chains give some more slack, and I pulled my hands up experimentally. The weight felt like lead, but I could move freely. A scared nurse, followed by sixteen body guards, approached me. I followed the nurses shrubs to her face, and she squeaked when we made eye contact. She was young. Too young to be tending to people like me.

"Do what the boss said. Tell him what to do." A body guard shoved the nurse, and she began to reach a hand out to me, as if I was a wild tiger. I moved a hand and waved hers away, my chains jingling like hell's bells. Her hand stopped and she pulled it up to her chest. I extended my arm to the body guard who had pushed her.

"Don't ask a lady to do all the hard work. It's not polite." I waved my arm, motioning for him to undo the weights connected to my wrist and the longer chain that kept me in place. He grunted.

_"Sexist bastard. A woman can do things for herself!"_ Mammon's voice almost sounded real, but I knew it was just in my head. I smiled to myself. The nurse's eyes widened, a little bit of the fear melting away. The guard reluctantly undid the chains, and I stood up, dragging the chains with me. My body felt elongated, as if the chains had pulled my arms and legs like taffy. I stood a good two heads taller than her, so I slouched a bit to make her less frightened. I didn't want her to suffer from anything, especially me. I had already caused so much pain. She began walking away, leading me to the door. The body guards surrounded me, but I wasn't going to try anything.

I was led to a small bathroom, security cameras in almost ever corner.

"Bathe. We will leave fresh clothes for you here. If yo try anything, we have permission to severely damage you." As the body guard left, I looked in the mirror. It was built into the wall, and I guessed that other patients who had been here had tried breaking mirrors to try and kill themselves. My reflection looked like a dark smudge of paint that had been scraped off the palette. My eyes had dark rings under them, my face shadowed. My hair was matted and tangled, the bright purple factor gone. It was replaced with a greenish brown. I started the tap and stood under the lukewarm water, letting it wash away the collected dirt and filth. The water ran brown for a while before it became red. The warm water caused the scabs on my wrists to soften, and old wounds were beginning to reopen. I ran a few fingers through my hair, my hand still coming away covered in some kind of greenish substance. I continued rinsing until I thought most of the dirt was gone. I turned off the water and looked at the clothes left for me. A light blue pair of pants were hanging on the towel hanger, along with a white t shirt. I slipped them on, avoiding the mirror. A guard was waiting outside of the bathroom, and he lead me down a long hallway, the white tile cold against my bare feet. We approached a glass door, and the guard slipped a black card in the door's slot. A button glowed green, and an eye scanner was presented. The man scanned his eye and the door opened. He pushed me inside, and the doors closed behind me.

"There! Much better!" My mother walked up to me from around the corner. She began walking towards another glass door, and I had no choice but to follow.

"You se, there's been a problem with the case you so willingly handed over." She went through the same procedure as the guard, and I was led into a pure white room. Several people wearing masks covering their mouths and noses and latex gloves wandered around a table. As I walked closer, I saw that the metal case was on the table.

"You see, it just won't open. Rather, it is impossible to open." I didn't want hope to seep into my heart just yet, and allowed my mother to keep speaking.

"You want to know why that is? Well, it's because the case you delivered was a fake. It is missing a certain inscription on the inside of the handle." I blinked. A fake? This whole time? I felt my blood quicken. Was there still hope?

"But, we managed to get one piece of information from one of our helpers, which is why you're here." I didn't care what happened to me, as long as Mammon was still safe. And if the case really was a fake, it would mean that she should still be alive.

"We heard that if we could, somehow, get ahold of an Archobaleno, which we have, we could extract your life and power to find the actual one, and inject your powers into another."

Mammon's POV

I burst through the doors of the Archobaleno household, no longer caring that I had never wanted to see any of them again. I stomped into the living room, where all the Archobaleno were gathered. They all turned to look at me, and I took out the metal case from beneath my cloak.

"What. Is. This." I slammed the case onto the table. Reborn's eyes widened, and Fon set down his tea. Verde, who had been staring out of the window jumped up, carefully lifting the handle slightly. He set the handle down again.

"Where was this?" Verde looked at me, a serious look in his eyes.

"At a graveyard. The graveyard that Skull is buried in." I practically spit out the words.

"This is the real one, isn't it? Isn't it?!" Verde nodded. Reborn stood.

"Then what is the one that... Skull took?" Colonello adjusted his rifle.

"We all know that the man Skull was fighting went through the portal and took the metal case with him. What was that?" I wanted to punch them. To kill them all. At least Skull had died protecting something that held all of their lives. But know it wasn't the case.

"Are you saying that... Skull died... protecting... A FAKE?!" I felt my nails biting into the palms of my hands, but didn't stop.

"A FAKE?! Tell me! It was a fake wasn't it?!" I let out a laugh. Fon looked at me skeptically, but I just laughed harder.

"Ehehehe... Ahahahaha! A FAKE! Imagine, dying for something that wasn't even real..." Tears became mixed with my laughs, and I could feel my sanity unwinding.

"It was all for nothing! ALL FOR NOTHING!" The laughs and sobs were shaking my body, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

"Boom! And you're done! Just like that, you're dead. FOR NOTHING!" I raised my arms up above my head, motioning a huge explosion. It was all gone. All done.

"We got away with out lives, but guess who didn't?" My laughs died down a little.

"The one who died... FOR NOTHING!" I picked up the case, slamming it against the wall. Lal tried to stop me, but I slapped her. She raised a hand to her face, a red mark across her cheek.

"Stop it Viper! You're acting like a child!" Reborn held my wrists, but I continued to kick and thrash.

"A child? A child?!" I stilled for a moment. My first and only love was dead. And he died for nothing. And nobody cared. A strong palm hit the back of my head, and I felt blackness close in.

More than hope was lost.

The hope to have hope was lost.


End file.
